Intermezzo (Moderato)

The Four Pieces for Orchestra were composed in 1912, but not arranged for orchestra until 1921. His friend and colleague, Zoltan Kodály, was of the opinion that Bartók in his op. 12 clearly made reference to his two works for stage, 'Duke Bluebeard's Castle' and 'The Wooden Prince'. The Funeral march (Marcia funebre) could be considered to be a tragic epilogue to the Bluebeard opera, the Intermezzo its elegiac echo, while the Preludio and Scherzo on the other hand conjure up the sunny realm of the Prince.
Fono Forum: outstanding; Gramophone, International Record Review, Classics Today France: recommended.